Sgt. James Rempe said he knew exactly who Lionel Clah was when word spread of his escape from a prisoner transport van earlier this month. He knew because nearly a decade ago, Clah shot Rempe.

Prior to the shootout, Clah began firing shots at police in Bloomfield. Officers from multiple agencies began chasing him up 550. One of Clah's passengers jumped out of the car while it was going about 80 mph.

Another passenger, a 16-year-old girl, stayed with Clah as he raced up the highway.

"We could see just the muzzle flashes and we knew that they were shooting at us," Rempe said.

Rempe said Clah drove onto the reservation and into a neighborhood. The girl got out and ran into a house. Rempe said Clah got out of the car and pointed a gun right at him.

Police did not open fire because so many neighbors were nearby.

Clah got back into the car and sped away. Other police put out stop sticks and Deputy Kory Faulk rammed Clah's car.

Faulk was shot in the face. He survived and has since retired.

A bullet also grazed Rempe's neck.

"An inch to the left, maybe a different story, an inch to the right, I don't even have a mark,” Rempe said. “So you just don't know.”

Rempe said the public is lucky no one was hurt after Clah and fellow inmate, Joseph Cruz, broke out of an inmate transport van near Artesia. Rempe said Clah would likely head back to the Four Corners area, but police were able to catch him in Albuquerque after U.S. marshals offered $10,000 in reward money for each escapee.

"He's a very violent and dangerous man -- I'm very glad no one was hurt," Rempe said.